Garment-supporter



(No Modem E. LANGELL.

GARMENT SUPPORTBR.

Patented Feb. 1, 1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT @ritiene ELIZABETH LANGELL, OF MARINE CITY, MICHIGAN.

GARMENT-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,104, dated February 1, 1898.

- Application tiled July 14, 1896. Serial No. 599,083. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, ELIZABETH LANGELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marinev City, county of St. Clair, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Garment-Supporters; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to Which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object'a novel garment-supporter; and it consists of the construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Among the uses to which my supporter is found adapted is its engagement with a corsetwaist in such a manner that one or more skirts may be hooked thereupon. It may also be readily engaged upon a shirt-Waist, and when so engaged being in position for engaging one or more skirts therewith. I contemplate, however, as coming Within the scope of my invention,the construction of the device for any and all uses to which it may be found adapted.

A special object of my invention is to provide a supporter which may be readily attached to one article of apparel without any sewing and which may be readily adjusted to any desired position upon the garment, and when so enga-ged be in readiness for hooking other articles of apparelas ladies skirts, for example-thereupon.

The device consists, essentially, of curved arms or hooks bent intermediate their extremities to form a cross portion, upon which said cross portion is hinged ay shield to protect the points when the device is in place.

In the drawings, Figure l shows the device in the act of being primarily engaged upon a garment-as upon a corset-Waist or shirt- Waist, for example-the points just entering the fabric. Fig. 2 is a view showing the device particularly engaged,A upon the garment, the hooks having been turned over fronnthe position shownin Fig. l and drawn down farther into the fabric. Fig. 3 is a vievv in perspective, showing the device in place upon one garment and another garment being engaged over the hooks and suspended therefrom. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through portions of various articles of apparel, showing my device in side elevation. Fig. 5 is a separate vieuT of my device in perspective.

I will describe my invention as applied to a corset-Waist and used to support a skirt thereupon.

A and A represent two longitudinally-extended arms, made of a single integral piece of Wireterminating at their extremities in hooks a a', the Wire being bent intermediate said arms to form a connecting cross-bar A2, said cross-bar being offset from the plane of the arms A A' on the side toward the hooks a a', as indicated at a2 a3. The hooks are bent over substantially parallel to the arms A A.

B indicates a shield, made of a piece of metal plate; preferably having a jointed engagement with said cross-bar A2 and normally projecting down over the side of the points a a, substantially parallel to the arms A A.

C denotes a garment-as a corset-Waist or a shirt-Waist, for exampleto which the supporter is secured by sim ply passing the points a o. through the garment or a portion thereof, turning over the arms A A after the points have been engaged in the garment, and then drawing down the supporter until the connecting cross-bar A2 seats upon the outer face of the garment, as indicated in the drawings. D represents another. garment-as a skirt, for exampleengaged over the points of the hooks a a When the supporter has first been secured upon the first-mentioned garment in the manner above described. The garment, as the skirt, is readily hooked over the points a a. by simply raising the shield B, after which the shield is dropped down into normal position to protect the points or to protect an outer garment from catching upon the points. It will be perceived that by offsetting the connecting cross-bar A2 toward the points room is given for the fabric. At the same time the offset spaces the shield from the fabric, preventing the fabric from bearing against the shield and throwing the shield oft from the points. There being no pressure Whatever upon the shield to crowd it off from the points, it will readily hold its place in normal position against the point-s,

IOO

`especially when an outer garment is applied of the device on the garment, to which it is permanently attached, the fabric of the garment being drawn into the elongated loop A3.

By offsetting the connecting cross-bar, so that the points and the shield are normally parallel to the arms A A', the device may be made compact, the Whole thickness of the structure being comparatively narrow,so that When applied to a garment it is not bunchy, but will lie snugly in place.

In Fig. et I have shown aladys belt E,located over the supporter, the device in this case, it will be understood, beingprimarily attached to a shirt-waist, a dress-skirt being secured over the hooks or points of the supporter and the belt engaged about the person concealing the supporter. For such a use it is especially desirable that the device shall be of narrow thickness. For such a use, Where the supporter is to be employed under a belt, the shield might often be dispensed with, and I would have it understood that my invention contemplates the construction of a supporter with and without the shield. The device can be made more compact by indenting the shield, as indicated at b b', to set over the said points. Since the shield when used is attached directly to the integrallyconnect ing olfset cross-bar, no spring is required to hold the shield in place.

The device is simple in its construction and application and of superior efficiency.

The arms A A', with their hooks a d', being preferably made ofspring metal, it will be seen that the indentations of the shield to set over the hooks enable the shield to set snugly and firmly upon the hooks, the spring-hooks holding the shield in engagement thereupon.

To engage the hooks in the indentations the.

hooks are pressed inwardly, the one toward the other, and when engaged with shield it is obvious that their lateral tension will hold the shield thereupon.

W'hat I claim as my invention is- 1. A garment-supporter composed of a wire bent to form a cross-bar A2 intermediate its ends, and arms A, A extending at nearly right angles to the cross-bar, and terminating at their outer ends in hooks a, a' turned so as to extend in a line with the arms toward said cross-bar, combined with a shield having a jointed engagement upon said cross-bar, and provided with recesses to receive the points of said hooks, said arms provided with offset portions a2, a3 adjacent to the cross-bar on the side toward the hooks, and whereby the points of the hooks extend toward the cross-bar parallel with the arms in substan tially theplane of the cross-bar, whereby the arms are spaced from the jointed portion of the shield to give room for the fabric and to prevent the fabric from crowding the shield off from the points, substantiallyas set forth.

2. A garment-supporter composed of a wire bent to form a cross-bar A2 intermediate its ends, and arms A, A extending at nearly right angles to the cross-bar, and terminating at their outer ends in hooks a, a turned so as to extend in a line with the arms toward l said cross-bar, combined with a shield having a yjointed engagement upon said cross-bar, and .provided with recesses to receive the points of said hooks, said arms provided with offset portions a2, a3 adjacent to the cross-bar on the side toward the hooks, and whereby the points of the hooks extend toward the cross-bar parallel with the arms in substantially the plane of the cross-bar, whereby the arms are spaced from the jointed portion of the shield to give room for the fabric and to prevent the fabric from crowding the shield 0E from the points, said arms also bent inward the one toward the other adjacent to the offset portions, thereby forming with the offset portions and cross-bar a loop A3 adjacent to the cross-bar projecting laterally beyond the general plane of the arms, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign this specilication in the presence of two witnesses.

ELIZABETH LANGELL. Vitnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, JOHN F. MILLER. 

